Sydney
17 August 2003
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Caritas Australia backs island leaders’ talks with our PM
By Chris Lindsay
Caritas Australia is co-ordinating a delegation of Solomon Islanders to come to Australia to meet Prime Minister John Howard and discuss the situation in the Solomon Islands.
The delegation also plans to meet AusAid and Foreign Affairs Department officials.
Caritas will also increase its program of support to a camp of internally displaced people, whose families have been murdered and terrorised by lawless gangs.
The decision to help co-ordinate the delegation’s trip to Australia is one of the outcomes of a visit to the Solomons by Caritas Australia representatives Justine McMahon and Jamie Isbister.
They spoke with community leaders, Church officials and the people of the Solomon Islands about future directions in restoring law and order, creating stable opportunities for work and trade, and getting public institutions working again.
“We were able to confirm independently that there is broadbased support for the Australian-led regional intervention, especially in Honiara,” says Justine.
“However, many people are afraid that the situation will deteriorate again when the Australians leave.”
Australia has made a large contribution of police and armed forces to a Pacific region coalition of about 2300 personnel that is attempting to bring peace and order to the country.
“We visited two camps involving 89 families - 2000 people - whose villages have been destroyed by the gangs,” Ms McMahon said.
“People have been tortured and the women raped. Some of their family members have been murdered. Their villages have been burnt down, their food gardens destroyed and all their animals killed.” Caritas Australia, working with its partner Caritas Solomon Islands, will help these people to rebuild villages and create stable living conditions for the victims of this violence.
“Caritas Solomon Islands is often the only group that can get access and provide critical humanitarian support to those most vulnerable communities affected by the violence,” Ms McMahon said. “As well, those criminals who have perpetrated crimes against people such as those now living in the camps need to be brought to justice.”
Mr Isbister and Ms McMahon were in Honiara on August 1 when Australian police began a 21-day gun amnesty. Those who ignore the amnesty, including government officials, could face prison sentences of up to 10 years.
Although the response in the first days of the amnesty was slow - this has been put down to poor weather conditions - community leaders are confident it will be a first step in bringing the build-up of arms under control.
Ms McMahon says the build-up of arms in Melanesia, not just the Solomon Islands, is a real concern “because it has wide implications and threatens the peace and security of a large number of people”.
The current amnesty needs to be limited to gun possession only, she says.
“Those who have committed serious crimes such as murder, torture, rape, kidnapping and destruction of property need to be brought to justice,” she added.
“The people of the Solomon Islands will not be able to develop the sense of security needed to develop trade and other opportunities if they know that those who have intimidated them and destroyed their livelihood are free to wander through their communities with impunity.”